A U.S. appeals court on Wednesday permanently blocked a North Dakota law that banned most abortions once a fetal heartbeat can be detected, as early as six weeks after conception.

The court upheld a U.S. District Court judge's decision that blocked the 2013 law before it took effect, finding that it must follow U.S. Supreme Court precedent, which holds that states may not prohibit pre-viability abortions.

The 8th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals judges also said there were "good...